Information on the Longmont meatball case can be called in to police at 303-651-8501. Tipsters who wish to remain anonymous can also call Northern Colorado Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or send a text message to "CRIMES" (274637) and the keyword "NOCO."

Crime Stoppers tips that lead to an arrest can receive up to a $2,000 reward.

On Wednesday, Harber said he was offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person who put three meatballs laced with d-Con rat poison into the lawn of a Collyer Street home Saturday.

Harber offered an identical reward in April when similar meatballs were found at a Gunbarrel park.

"I think I'm going to have to start buying all the d-Con in the area, so no one has any," said a disgusted Harber.

Both cases are believed to be attempted dog poisonings. In the Longmont case, residents Gail and Doedo Schipper had also received a letter threatening their dog in June 2013.

Now a different sort of letter has begun to circulate. Longmont police on Wednesday said that two homes on the 1500 block of Sumner Street had received a newspaper clipping on the case and a warning note.

"It said roughly, 'I wouldn't do this, but this could happen to you,'" said Sgt. Matt Cage. He said he thought it sounded like a warning to be careful rather than a threat, but at least one Longmont resident wasn't so sure.

"I'm calling to address the person sending the anonymous articles on poisoned meatballs with a hand written note insinuating that if our dogs do not shut up that this could happen to them as well," said a TC-Line caller who identified herself as a resident of the West Point neighborhood and said she received a note. "Wishing that you could be not such a coward ... and let us know if you have a problem with our dogs so we could address it."

A lab said the visibly poison-stuffed meatballs appear to contain d-Con, though a formal analysis would take two to four weeks to complete. The symptoms can take three to four weeks to take full effect in a dog, and include lethargy, internal bleeding and bleeding from the gums, nostrils and rectum.

Cage said another Longmont resident called police Wednesday to say that she thought her dog had died under mysterious circumstances last month. Officers have not yet confirmed if the dog was poisoned or if the instance is related to the meatball case.

The issue is a personal one for Harber, a dog owner who also helps raise puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind.

"What if you poison some little kid's dog or cat?" he said. "And when you put poison into the food chain, it doesn't disappear. If a dead animal is then partly eaten by another animal, it can die as well. It's just very distressing."

A lot of people are agreeing. Harber's initial $1,000 reward for the Gunbarrel case has been added to by others and now totals $8,500. The Longmont offer was welcomed by police, he said.

"My intuition says the Longmont Police Department — which is very capable — with just a little bit of help from the public can crack this case," he said.

Meanwhile, he hoped others would think twice before taking drastic steps to harm an animal.

"If you have a problem with a neighbor's or someone else's dog ... talk to that person," Harber urged. "Ask the city or the police department to provide a mediator. There's lots of alternatives."

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